HartoSaarinen

Harto Saarinen

Postdoctoral researcher in economics

University of Turku - Turku School of Economics

hoasaa@utu.fi

My research lies at the intersection of stochastic control, linear diffusion models, and strategic decision-making under uncertainty. A central theme of my work is the introduction of timing frictions into continuous-time models and the analysis of how these frictions shape optimal decisions and strategic behavior. My broader research interests include binary classification and complex network models.

Alongside my academic work, I have contributed to several startups and interdisciplinary projects spanning innovations, causal modelling, generative AI, network science, computational medicine, and autonomous rail systems.

Accepted publications

2026 — When Does Centrality Matter in Portfolio Choice?
Roope Rihtamo, Harto Saarinen, Henri Nyberg, and Joni Virta. Quantitative Finance, in print (Preprint: SSRN).
2026 — A Sequential Stopping Problem with Costly Reversibility
Jukka Lempa, Harto Saarinen, and Tarmo Taipale. Journal of Applied Probability, Vol. 63, pp. 225–257.
2026 — Optimal Stopping with Variable Attention
Jukka Lempa, Harto Saarinen, and Wiljami Sillanpää. Advances in Applied Probability, Vol. 58, pp. 235–268.
2024 — Disease Gene Prioritization with Quantum Walks
Harto Saarinen, Mark Goldsmith, Rui-Sheng Wang, Joseph Loscalzo, and Sabrina Maniscalco. Bioinformatics, Vol. 40, Article btae513.
2024 — Solutions for Poissonian Stopping Problems of Linear Diffusions via Extremal Processes
Luis H. R. Alvarez E., Jukka Lempa, Harto Saarinen, and Wiljami Sillanpää. Stochastic Processes and their Applications, Vol. 172, Article 104351.
2024 — Two-Sided Poisson Control of Linear Diffusions
Harto Saarinen. Stochastics, Vol. 96, pp. 1119–1142.
2023 — On Poisson Constrained Control of Linear Diffusions
Harto Saarinen. Doctoral thesis, Annales Universitatis Turkuensis, Series A I, Vol. 689, 136 pp.
2023 — A Zero-Sum Poisson Stopping Game with Asymmetric Signal Rates
Jukka Lempa and Harto Saarinen. Applied Mathematics & Optimization, Vol. 87, Article 35.
2023 — Link Prediction with Continuous-Time Classical and Quantum Walks
Mark Goldsmith, Harto Saarinen, Guillermo García-Pérez, Joonas Malmi, Matteo A. C. Rossi, and Sabrina Maniscalco. Entropy, Vol. 25, Article 730.
2022 — A Note on Asymptotics Between Singular and Constrained Control Problems of One-Dimensional Diffusions
Harto Saarinen and Jukka Lempa. Acta Applicandae Mathematicae, Vol. 181, Article 13.
2021 — Ergodic Control of Diffusions with Random Intervention Times
Harto Saarinen and Jukka Lempa. Journal of Applied Probability, Vol. 58, pp. 1–21.

Papers under review

2026 — Resource Extraction from a Stochastic Population with Harvesting Quotas
Erik Ekström, Dante Mata, and Harto Saarinen, (Preprint: ArXiv).

2024 — On the Impact of Poisson Timing Constraints on Impulse Control Policies
Luis H. R. Alvarez E., Jukka Lempa, Harto Saarinen, and Wiljami Sillanpää

Representative Teaching

Optimisation for Economists
Mathematics for Economists
Second course in real analysis
Intermediate course in probability
Mathematical writing and LaTeX